Salvaging apparatus



Ndv. 13,1928. A 1,691,738,

G. G. POWELL A sALyAGINe APPARATUS Origifial Filed Oct. 24. 1918' 5 sheets-Shea 1 A WITNESSES INVENTOR V Gig/ 014514 gamma 8, a- .& dd

A TTORNEY Nov. 13, 1928.

G. G, POWELL SALVAGING APPARATUS s Sheets-Sheet Original Filed Oct. 24. 1918 INVENTOB} GGPGWZZL WITNESSES Nov. 13, 1928. I 1,691,738

G. e. POWELL SALYAGING APPARATUS originalFiled Oct. 24. 1918 .3 s t -s t Z5 Patented Nov. 13, 19 28,

EJTFE stares ononsn e. rowntnonunw YORK, 1v. 1., essrenon To ANTOINETTE M. POWELLIOF new YORK, 1 Y.

SALVAG'ING APPARATUS.

Refileof abandoned application Serial Among the principal objects which the presentinvention'has in view are; to provide means which may be submerged and independently operatedto grapple a sunken hull for floating the same; to promote salvage operations withoutthe aid of divers; to promote salvage operations at depths unfavorable for the employment of divers; and to promote salvage operations under atmospheric conditions favorable to men in charge of such operations;

])rawings.-Fig.- 1 is a planviewshowing the outline of a vessel iniposition to be salved, and a salvaging apparatus operatively eagaging the same, said apparatus being constructed and: arranged in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an-end elevation of the same l ig. 3 is'a detail view on an enlarged scale showing the operative elementsrwith which the apparatus-is provided; I

Fig. 4 is an endelevation, partly'in section, of theapparatus showing the operative connection between the conning tower and the flotatio'npontoon's I Fig.5 is a detail view showing-in vertical section, thevalve for controlling the .air supply of said apparatus.

Descriptz'0n.As seen inthe drawings, the

apparatus preferably consists of two unlts and a control station operatively connected with said. units. substantially as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to provide a number of curved tonglike members, and operating" instrumentali-' ties connected therewith. The tongs are ar ranged in pairs, said-pairs being connected by pivot-shafts 8. Each member of the tongs embodies an-enlarged gripping arm at the extremity of which is a hook like extension 10. The arms 9 are preferably hollow, the structure thereof being designed for strength With'lightness, Each of the hooklike extensions 10 has jetting openings 11 and 12. The openings 11 aredisposed in what may be termedthe nose of the extension 10, and are provided to direct an air or water jet in advance of the ends of the arms 9; The openings-12 co-operate therewith for clearing the area below the ends o f'the, arms-to'permit thesame to sink into ooze on the sea bottom on which the wreck rests. As seen best inFigure 2 of the drawings,-the arms 13-13' and 9 9 are hollow No a 259,538, filed fictober 24 1918.

1923. serial No. 622,668.

Each unit is constructed This application filed MarchS,

and can function both as jetting and buoyant devices as explained hereinafter. p

Each arm 9 is structurally and rigidly con nected by a lever arm 13, to one of thet-Wo pontoo'ns 14.; The pontoons are dividedcby a series oat-bulkheads 22-into compartments for ballasting. Each compartment has a bot: tom opening 15, through which wateris emitted or admitted. The bulkheads 22are static pressures when atmospheric pressure is maintained in the chamber.

Air for operating the pontoons- 14: and jetting from the arms 9, s supplied from the flasks 17, which are charged with air com- 7 pressed to a high degree. The flasks 17 'may be carried in any partiof the structure the 1 space in the pontoons 14 being: found, best suited, and for that reason-is show-11 in the disclosed. structure. It will be. understood, however that the flasks may be strappedor otherwise secured to the back or upper edge of the lever arms 13. 'The' flasks are connected by means of a flexible pipe to the chamber 16, and to a master controlling valve or manifold provided t-hereinr A distributingsystemof pipes 19, 20 and 21 permits the operatorlin the chamber 16to controlythe action of the pontoons. I

Salvaging apparatus is brought, directly over the previously surveyed, and buoyed wreck. Buoyed anchors connected to winches located on each end of each lifting-pontoon 14 (not shown) are carried to and sunk at four equidistant points. These winches are. controlled from the chamber 16 and provide. positive and accurate means for guidlng the.

apparatus to bring the grappling arms 9 9- 1n alignment with, and to pass on eaclrside of the wreck, and also to positively sink'the apparatus a ainst a slight; retainedzbuoyanc inthe lifting pontoons 14.

Atthe beginning of the operation, it will be seen that the pontoons 14 are 'lilled with air to float on the surface of the Water, and

to swing the. arms 9 toward each other. The

couples having been operativelv connected,

the air in the pontoons-is withdrawn permitti'ng water to enter throughthe'openings- 15. As the pontoons sink, the levers 13 and arms 9 connected therewith are rocked'on the shaft 8 to the open position of the saidarms. The whole structure sinks together,

no communication being maintained with the surface except telephonic communication.

The outspreadarms 9-9 pass in controlled alignment the sides of the submerged wreck,

the extensions 10 resting upon the seat bottom.

By manipulating the proper valves 23, hereinafter described, the operator exhausts the compressed air from the interior of the tong members 13 13 and 9-9, which has maintained them in their open position,and

thereby permits any desired proportion of theircombined weight to force their bottom ends 10 into the sea floor and partially close under the bottom of the object to be raised, assisted by the jets that issue from the jet holes 11' and 12. By this means the ooze of the sea floor is removed from the path of the feet 10.

The weight of the couples 99 resists the lifting action of the pontoons 1414. Therefore, when air is forced into the top of the pontoons 14-14 from the pipes 20, their liftlng value is first expended in the further closing of the couples 9- 9 and continued, until the united flotation of the pontoons 14 lifts the wreck from its bed to the surface of the water.

In the salvaging operation performed by this apparatus, it is intended that the wreck shallbe lifted until the upper deck is awash, with thebulwarks sufliciently above the surface to act as a cofferdam. "Then the ordinar sa-lva in 'methods as closin all 0 enings in the hull, pumping out and releasing the salvaged vessel from the lifting apparatus, are completed.

l I It will be understood that the air by which the apparatus is operated is supplied through the instrumentality of the flasks 17 It will be further understood that the air is delivered to or permitted to escape from any of the various compartments formed by the bulkheads 22 in the two pontoons.

pressed or elevated relative to the opposite end, and in this manner permitting the operator in the chamber 16 to adjust the salvage apparatus to the wreck, and to compensate any shifting of weight of cargo that may have occurred to allow rising to the surface on an even keel.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the operating chamber 16, is provided with a pair of valves 23, each ofwhich may be manipulated by its hand wheel 24. As indicated in Fig. 5 each of the valves 23 comprises a rotary plug. The casing of the valvehas formed therewith a series of ports to. which the pipes 18, 20, 19, 21 and 26 arefconnected. To register with said ports the plug in the valve 23 is pro- In this way every end of each of the pontoons is de-' Leenves Vided with a vertical port from which extend the radial ports. The radial ports 28, 29 are located to connect'with the pipes 18 and 20 simultaneously. When the valve plug is turned to open communication with the pipes 18 and 20, the compressed air in the flasksl? is delivered to the pontoons 14 to eject the 2 water therefrom, to increase the floatation of the same. Vyhcn'the ports 80 and 31 are registered with their corresponding port openings the pipes 20 and 26 are opened to permit the air. formerly held in the pontoons to escape. When the plug of the valve 23 is turned to register the ports 32 and 33 with their corresponding openings, the pipe 18 is placed in communication with the pipe 19,

with the result'that compressed'air is delivered into the hollow arms 13, for the purpose of blowing the water enclosed through pressed air from flasks 17, gyro-compass for orientation underwater, are all similar to those used in the, submarine.

It will be understood that various modifications may be .made in the invention without departing from the spirit thereof and the present exemplification is to be taken as illustrative and not limitative thereof.

Having described my invention1what I de sire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is: V

1. A salvaging apparatus comprising elongated pontoons, the length of said pontoons being approximately that of the wreck to be salvaged, a series'ofghollow tong-like mem bers extending between said pontoons and having one of their ends rigidly secured to the same, means for pivotally connecting said I hollow ton g-like members intermediate said pontoons, means for carrying air under pressure in said pontoons, means for releasing air within said pontoons, means for carrying air under pressure to said hollow tong like menbers, means for releasing air from said hollow tong like members, a central station to which all of both said means is operatively connected,-said air permitting the admission of water and ejection thereof from said pontoons and said 7 hollow tongs whereby the specific gravityof the'same may be varied, and means dividing said pontoons into compartments. I I a Y 2. In a salvaging apparatus the combination of a plurality of pairs of hollow pivoted displacing members, the members of each pair oppositely positioned, each member'having formed at one end a hollow tong arm integral therewith, a pair of pontoons in the a. In a salvaging apparatus the combina-- tion of a pair of pivotally connected pontoons, having openings in'thei-r bottom portions, flasks for compressed air in each pontoon, an operating chamber adjacent to said pon- 'toons and capable of being submerged, a pair of valves in said chamber, piping extending from said valves to the flasks of each pontoon to distribute compressed air from said flasks, and piping for said valves to direct the air from said flasks to the interior of the pontoons on the outside of the flasks to discharge water contained in the pontoons through the openings in their bottom portions.

5. In a salvaging apparatus the combina tion of a plurality of pairs'of hollow pivoted displacing members, the members of each pair oppositely positioned, each member having formed integral therewith at one end a hollow tong arm, a pair of pontoons in the salvaging apparatus carried by said members opposite their tong arms, flasks in each 1 low displacing members and means to dis-v pontoon for compressed air, means to lead the compressed air from the flasks to said pontoons on the outside of said flasks, means to discharge said air from the pontoons, means to lead the compressed air to said holcharge the air from the latter members.

6. Salvaging apparatus, including a pair around the object to be salvaged, and means incorporated in such controlling chamber for forcing the water out of such pontoons and arms whereby to render them buoyant. 7. Salvaging apparatus, including hollow tongs pivota-lly secured together, hollow arms 1 connected to such tongs, pontoons connected to the outer end of the'arms, the lower ends of the tongs being provided with inwardly projecting and opposing extensions, said tongs being adapted to receive buoyant fluid, means to eJect the buoyant fluid from the tongs, and to form jets of fluid to assist the opposing extensions to burrow into the sea floor and under the object to be salvaged.

8. Salvaging apparatus, including hollow tongs pivoted together, arms secured to the upper ends oflsuch tongs, and pontoons secured to the outer ends of such arms, the

tongs being adapted to extend around and engage the object to be raised the arms being so arranged with respect to the tongs, and such pontoons being in turn arranged with respect to such arms, that the upper edge of the objectv to be raised will project above the surface of the water.

9. In a salvaging apparatus the combination of a plurality of pairs of hollow pivoted displacing members, the members of each pair oppositely positioned, each member having formed at one end a hollow tong'arm integral therewth, a pair of pontoons in the apparatus and the member of each of said pairs at the end opposite its hollow tong arm rigidly connected to one of said pontoons, bulkheads in each pontoon forming compartments therein, a plurality of flasks in connection with each other in eachof said compartments, an operating chamber capable of being submerged adjacent to the, displacing members, a pair of valves in said operating chamber, piping extending from said valves to the flasks of each pontoon to distribute compressed air from said flasks, piping leading from each of said valves to each compartment of each pontoon to direct the distributed air into the latter, and piping leading from said valves to'direct the distributedair to the hollow displacingmembers, piping connected to each valve to discharge the air from each compartment in the pontoons and piping connected to each valve to discharge the air from each of said displacing members.

Signed at the'borough of Manhattan, city of New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 2nd day ofMarch A. D. 1923. p

- GEORGE G. POWELL. 

